Method of constructing and laying subaqueous tunnels.



No. 715,768. Patented Dec. l6, I902.

H. F. DURHAM.

METHOD OF CUNSTBUCTING AND LAYING SUBAQUEOUS TUNNELS. {Application filed Sept. 11, $900.3 (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheei I.

Witneszfes: 44 r v, I t r-.-

fZI'DunZram;

m: nanms vmns 50.. Pucrruuma. wasumcnon, n. c

Patented Dec. "5, 1902-.

H. F. DUNHAM. METHOD OF CONSTRUGTING AND LAYING SUBAQUEOUS TUNNELS.

{Application fixed Sept. 11 1900..

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.

M U I m: Nonms P121555 00., wnoYcmTHc WASHINGTON, a c.

No. 7|5,768. Patented Dec. 16, I902.

H. F. DUNHAM. METHOD OF GONSTRUCTING AND LAYING SUBAHUEOUS TUNNELS.

[Applicatioh filed Sept. 11,4900.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

nun/"nun",

. fun

Inventor:

No. 75,768. Patented Dec. I6, 1902.

' H. F. DUNHAM.

METHOD 0F GONSTBUCTING AND'L-AYlNG-SUBAOUEOUS TUNNELS'.

(Appfication filed Sept. n. 1900.)

(No Maw. 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

' H7 17)? %am m: Ncvuus Pt en on, vnoruu'mn WASKINUTON, n c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

HERBERT F. DUNHAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AND LAYING SUBAQUEOUS TUNNELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,768, dated December 16, 1902.

I Application filed $eptember 11, 1900. Serial No. 29,626. (No model.)

To all whom it Wmy concern.

Be it known that I, HERBERT F. DUNHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements, in Methods of Constructing and Laying Subaqueous Tunnels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a method of constructing and laying subaqneous tunnels, tubes, or conduits, which may be of any desired size, to be utilized for transportation purposes or for gas or water or to inclose tubes for mail or other packages to be delivered by pneumatic pressure.

It is difficult to construct tunnels in the beds of streams or other bodies of water, and generally such work is carried on by men working under. an abnormal atmospheric pressure equal to the pressure due to the depth of water andfrequently of the weight of material above the tunnel. Further, there are places where it is impracticable, if not impossible, to construct such tunnels on account of the loose character of the material and the readiness with which air under pressure will pass through it, and when the work is attempted in an open trench the natural pressure becomes very severe and hard to withstand at comparatively slight depths,.

and aside from the great difficulty the expense of open-trench workincreases very rapidly with thedepth and the work is especially liable to injury and destruction from floods or high water. There are wide channels where no great depth of water exists, but on account of floods embankments cannot be maintained, and the underlying material is such that bridge-foundations and bridges are very expensive to construct and maintain.

The object of myinvention is to provide a method by which such difficulties can be overcome and tunnels put in position in extremely bad locations without the use of abnormal air-pressure and without subjecting the tun- ;nel to the pressure dueto the depth of water and material above it until the said tunnel is practically completed. This method permits the construction of sections of the proposed if necessary, to the required location, to be properly united as the work of lowering and placing in exact position is carried out.

When the section has been placed in position, the work up to that point may be regarded as practically complete and not liable to injury from floods or accidents incident to the use of compressed air. Before the sections are launched hollow metallic columns are suitably secured in the sockets of the sections and each column is provided with rack-teeth with which pinions carried by shafts journaied in bearings of a platform are in engagement, and these shafts, are driven by worm-gearing suitably actuated by a motorlocated either on the platform or on a scow conveniently anchored adjacent thereto when it is desired to lower or to elevate the platform. Each end of the tunnel-section is closed bya water-tight partition or bulkhead, and when the section is to be lowered to position water is permitted to enter it until it sinks to the place desired, and to guide the section as it is being lowered two of the posts connected to one end thereof are coupled by yokes carrying antifriction-rollers to other posts projecting from ..the precedingsection, so that one set of posts will slide on the other set until the desired location is assured: Preferably each tunnel-section is provided with a tube or passage, through which a dredge of any suitable kind (shown herein as a clam-shell bucket) is introduced for the purpose of removing a portion of the waterbed, said dredge being operated by power supplied by a motor located either on the platform or on a scow anchored adjacent thereto. Hydraulic dredging may, however, be employed for accomplishing the same purpose, and when the desired excavation has been made and the section has settled to its correct position hydraulic cement or concrete is forced through thepassage therein to fill said passage and the space excavated and firmly secure said section in position. After a section has thus been secured the columns attached thereto are left in position to afford a frame or support for a double lever, hereinafter described, and two of the sets of columns attached to aconduit or tunnel section already laid are removed by mechanism carried by the scow and are in readiness to be attached to a new section, which section is then carried to position and laid, and the work is carried on in this manner until the tunnel is completed. Subsequent to the location of the section the water therein is pumped out, and an opening is then made by a workman through the partition or bulkhead of the next to the last section put down, and through this opening the small quantity of water between two adjacent bulkheads is removed, and should water be entering the joint between the two sections said joint is sealed in any desired way, the bulkheads having, of course, been removed. In the case of a single tunnel the tube or passage-way filled with cement is cut out; but when a, section containing twin passage-ways or tunnels is em ployed it is unnecessary to remove these tubes or passage-ways, for they are located in a longitudinal partition between the tunnels, and therefore ofier no obstruction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a series of connected tunnel-sections and of a convenient form of apparatus which may be employed for steadying and guiding each section as it sinks to place on the bed of the stream or other body of water. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line a a, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, a scow also being shown by which the posts and tunnel-section may be transported, if desired. Fig. 3 is an end view, Fig. 4: a side elevation, and Fig. 5 a plan view, of a twin tunnel-section. Fig. 6 is a vertical section showing the manner in which the hollow columns or posts are secured in the sockets of the tunnel-section. Fig. 7 is a partial longitudinal vertical sectional view of two endwise-abutting tunnel-sections, showing the partitions or bulkheads in the ends of said sections. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the platform, showing cross-sections of the columns secured in the corners of the tunnel-section. Fig. 9 is a vertical section on line mm, Fig. 8, showing two of the columns and the racks on the inner side thereof in elevation. Fig. 10 is a partial side elevation of the guiding and supporting devices and also shows one of the colums and a hydraulic jack or cylinderlift for controlling the movement of the tunnel-section. Fig. 11 is an end elevation of a single tunnel-section. Fig. 12 is a partial vertical section of two completed tunnel-sections, showing a sealed joint between the two. Fig. 13 is a front view of one of the sections and the attached posts or columns and double snp-' Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, as of the twin variety,) the passages in said sections being separated from each other by a longitudinal partition 5. At each end this tunnel-section is pro vided with transverse enlargements or reinforcements 6 and 7, respectively, the reinforcement 6 being provided with strong sockets 6' 6 and the reinforcement 7 with similar sockets 7 and depending projections or dowel-pins 7 adapted to fit within the sockets 6 of a preceding section, as shown in Fig. 1, when a section is lowered to position upon the water-bed.

Located upon the upper surface of the tunnel-section are conical bosses or protuberances 8, having flaring mouths, and depending from each of these bosses or protuberances and extending through the partition 5' is a tube 9, the purpose of which will be hereinafter set forth. Depending from the end of the section is a plate or guard 10, suitably secured to said end and braced by an angleiron 10, said plate or guard being preferably sharpened or having a beveled end, whereby it will readily enter the material of the waterbed and will prevent the entrance of mud or silt beneath the tunnel section while the dredging operation hereinafter described is being carried out. These plates or guards 10 also serve to prevent the endwise movement of the tunnel-sections when united along the water-bed, and therefore aid in securely retaining the tunnel in position.

In Fig. 11 atunnel or conduit section 12 is shown having but a single passage-way, and through the middle of which one of the tubes 9 is located, said section also carryingaguardplate 10, as hereinbefore described.

As above stated, each tunnel-section may be built of boiler-plate,.having a lining or backing of some suitable material-as, for instance, wood and masonry-and after this tunnel-section has been completed it will be launched and being suificiently buoyant can be floated to the location where the tunnel is being laid. v

To enable the tunnel-sections to be added one after another to the length of tunnel already completed, some means are necessary for guiding and controlling the sections as they are lowered to position, and as one Way of accomplishing this result I have shown detachably secured to the sockets 6 7, located at the four corners of the tunnel-section, sets of columns 13 and 14, which are suitably sustained against lateral movement by crossed braces 15,as shown in Fig. 2. Each of these sets of columns is firmly secured in its respective socketofthetunnel-sectionby bolts l6,passing through hollow bosses 17 on the interior of the column and having their threaded ends inserted in the walls of the socket, as shown in Fig. 6, suitable packing 18, compressed by a nut 19, being placed in the hollow bosses to prevent the seepage of water into the column from the joint between said column and socket. These columns are preferably placed in ICO position after the section has been launched,

. and before this launching takes place each section is provided with a water-tight partition or bulkhead 20, (see Fig. 7,) placed within an inch or so of each end, thus making an air-tight chamber in which water may be permitted to flow, by any suitable means, at will. To the exterior of each column or posta rack 21 is attached, and in engagement with these racks are pinions 22 22, carried by shafts 23 23, journaled in bearings of aprons 24, depending from a platform 25, and'these shafts 23 23 are also provided adjacent to one end wit-h worm-gears 26 26, driven when it is desired either to elevate or lower the platform by worms on a shaft 27, which may be actuated by a motor supported on the platform or in any other desired manner. A scow 28, which may be provided with compartments, gates, pumps, and other necessary machinery, is shown, which may be utilized for carrying one of the tunnelsections either partially or wholly submerged to the place where the tunnel is being built, or the tunnel-section may be towed to such position when desired. After a tunnel-section has been lowered to position the two sets of columns attached to its reinforced corners, as above described, are permitted to remain until one or two succeeding sections of the tunnel are laid,

Y and to these columns levers or arms 29 29' are detachably connected, as at 29 (see Fig. 15,) brace rods or ties 30 serving to support each lever and being attached at one end to the front end thereof and at the other end to a column 13, said ties or rods extending over vertical extensions 31 of the double lever to form a truss. Detachably connecting two of the hollow posts or columns are plates 32, having apeXes or knife-edges adapted to be received in sockets formed on the lower surfaces of plates 33, carried by the double lever 29 29. Guiding-brackets 34 are attached to each side of the posts or columns 14 left in position'on the tunnel, and these brackets serve to preventlateral movement of theposts attached to the section about to be laid as they are passed between them, (see Fig. 1,) and to further aid and guide the movement of one set of posts upon the other set yokes 35, carrying antifriction-rollers hearing against the columns, are provided, as also shown in Fig. 1. Connected to the ends of the double lever 29 29' are hydraulic lifts 3,6 36, (illustrated in Figs. 1, 10, and 13,) and at its lower end the piston-rod of each lift is provided with a hook 37, which may be made to engage any one of a series of bolts 38, projecting from the columns 14. This lift is under the control of fluid supplied by a pipe 39, containing a two-way valve 40, Fig. 10, by which fluid may be introduced below the piston of said lift to cushion and thereby regulate the descent of the tunnel-section and its attached columns, the exhaust from the cylinder of the lift being permitted to escape when this action takes place through a nozzle 41 in the valve-case 42. This lift may be actuated by motive fluid delivered from a suitable generator or accumulator carried either by the platform 25 or by the scow 28, moored alongside said platform, and when it is desired to elevate the tunnel-section for any reason the valve 40 can be turned to cause the motive fluid to enter the cylinder of the lift and through the connections described raise said section.

It frequently happens that the water-bed after being dredged is uneven, and therefore requires additional dredging to enable the sections to be brought into true alinement, and to enable this to be accomplished I have provided each of the tunnel-sections with the tubes or passage-ways 9 above described and through these passage-ways a dredging appliance of any desired kind--for instance, a clam-shell bucket 43 (illustrated in Fig. 1) or a pipe for conveying water under pressure to effect hydraulic dredging-may be employed. As the desired excavation beneath the tunnel-section is being made by the means described or by others suitable for the purpose the section will gradually sink until it finally arrives at the required position, and after it has acquired this position hydraulic cement or concrete 44 is poured through the tu bular bosses 8 and tubes 9 to fill the dredgedout portion of the bed, which cement when it sets will firmly secure the tunnel-section in position. \Vhile the dredging is going on, entrance of mud or silt from the front of the tunnel to the excavation is prevented by the guard-plates 10, above described. This hydraulic cement or concrete not only fills the excavation made by the dredging apparatus, but also fills the tube 9 and the tubular boss 8, and to secure additional stability the ocment or concrete may be made to surround the tunnel-section, and therefore embed it in a solid wall, as shown at 44 in Figs. 1 and 2.

Each column or post is made of sufficient size to permit a workman to enter the same and withdraw the bolts 16 from their threaded seats in the sockets 6 7, and after this operation has taken place the double lever 29 29' is detached from the columns 13 and is then lifted by a crane or other means carried by the scow 28, and the knife-edges 32 are removed from one set of posts to another set of posts in position on the tunnel, and the first set of posts is then withdrawn from the laid section of the tunnel and is carried ashore to be placed in position on a new section after the same has been launched. Inthis Way section after section is added to the tunnel that the columns 13 and 14 are so constructed.

with reference to each other that ,no lateral movement can occur after adjacent columns have been brought together. and thattheyokes 35, with their rollers, prevent anew tunnel-section from moving in any other than a vertical direction.

In the operation of lowering a tunnetsection to insure proper entrance of the dowelpins '7 into the sockets 6 6 water-jets may be employed to clear away sediment that may have found its way into the sockets or between any of the surfaces that are to be brought into contact in constructing the tunnel.

As the dredging operation continues until the right depth is reached any sudden movement or descent of the tunnel-section beyond the required limit is prevented by the double lever 29 29, which, as shown, is so arranged and connected with the completed part of the tunnel that the weight of the latter will control the downward movement of each succeeding section.

After the section is placed in position and before the removal of the partitions or bulkheads 20 the waterin the section is withdrawn by a suitable pump mounted either on the platform or on the scow, and then from within the tunnel (reached from the shore end) an opening should be made through the partition or bulkhead of the next to the last section put down, through which opening the water contained between two adjacent partitions or bulkheads 20 may be removed, and if there are leaks from the outside they will then be stopped, or, if necessary, before the removal of the water from between two adjacent bulkheads a fine grout or cement may be forced in to displace the water and harden in position, thereby preventing external leakage. An opening is then formed through the adjacent partition in the next section, which will permit the removal of the water from the new section, after which that partition will be withdrawn.

To strengthen the joint between two sections, metal plates or masonry may be added, as shown at 45 in Fig. 12, and the same operation may be repeated on arriving at the end of the next section.

Usually two or three sections are placed in position and properly interlocked or connected with each other, as indicated in Fig. 1, and then the heavy columns or posts will be removed by apparatus carried by the scow or the working platform, as above stated.

As at the time of placing a section in position the chamber therein is filled with water and is further loaded by the heavy columns 13 and 14:, the platform 25, and the machinery thereon, it will readily be seen that it will immediately sink to position, and to prevent too rapid action in this respect the lifts 36 3c" are provided. It will of course be understood that the specific gravity of a tunnel-section when under water and with its chamber empty exceeds somewhat that of the water, this being necessary to prevent the sections from rising under any conditions. The gradient of a tunnel built in this manner can readily be changed as the work progresses by making the proper angle at the end of each section, and this could be done by beveling the end of said section and keeping the columns or posts attached thereto in a vertical position.

hen the conditions are such as to require it, a certain amount of masonry can be added after the various sections have been placed in position.

Particular attention is called to the fact that all work done in connection with the placing in position of the different sections is accomplished from a fixed and rigid platform, thereby afiording all the advantages incident to the extension of a pier into astream or body of water.

Suitable tension lines or braces of any desired kind may be connected to the columns further to prevent their lateral movement, if desired.

My invention is not limited to the exact details of apparatus shown and described for permitting the lowering of the tunnel-sections nor to the particular shape of tunnel-section illustrated. In some instances the tube or conduit passing through the tunnel-section may be omitted and the dredging be accomplished from the outside.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. The method of constructing subaqueous tunnels, which consists in placing a tunnel section in position in the water-bed; loweringanother section in line with the first section; dredging out the water-bed beneath the section and unitingit with the first section as it is lowered; and filling with cement or concrete the excavation made by the dredge.

2. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels, which consists in dredging out the waterbed and sinking a tunnel-section; then sinking a second section and dredging the waterbed below it and uniting it to the first section; and filling the excavation made by the dredge with concrete or suitable material for securing the sections in position.

3. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels by sections which consists in sinking a section, then sinking other sections successively and guiding them to place by working platforms carried above the surface of the water by the sinking and contiguous sunken sections respectively.

4. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels by sections which consists in sinking a section, then sinking other sections successivelyand guiding them to place and supporting them as they are being sunk by platforms carried above the surface of the water by the sinking and contiguous sunken sections respectively.

5. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels by sections which consists in successively sinking the sections in line and supporting each section as it is being sunk by a sunken section.

6. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels which consists in sinking a section into place, and sinking another section in line therewith and supporting and guiding it from the sunken section as it is being sunk.

7. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels which consists in lowering a tunnel by sections and dredging the water-bed through passages in the tunnel-sections.

8. The method of laying a subaqueous tunnel-section which consists in lowering the section while dredging the water-bed through a passage in the tunnel-section, and then filling said passage and the excavation made by the dredge with proper material.

9. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels which consists in lowering the tunnelsections and dredging the water-bed through passages in the tunnel-sections, and then filling said passages and the excavation made by the dredge with proper material and applying similar material to the top and sides of the sections and permitting such material to unite and harden.

10. The method of laying a subaqueous tunnel-section which consists in lowering the section into a dredged channel and dredging the Water-bed through a passage in the tunnelsection, and then filling said passage and the excavation made by the dredge with proper material and applying similar material to the top and sides of the section and permitting such material to unite and harden.

11. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels which consists in lowering tunnel-sections and dredging the water-bed through a passage in the tunnel-section, then filling said passage and the excavation made by the dredge with proper material, and then removing said material in the passage which projects into the interior of the tunnel.

12. The method of laying a subaqueous tunnel-section which consists in lowering the section into a dredged channel, then dredging the water-bed through a passage in the tunnel-section, and then filling the excavation made by the dredge with proper material.

13. The method of formingsubaqueous conduits which consists in constructing a series of buoyant air-tight sections with removable water-tight bulkheads; launching said sections separately on the body of water upon the bed of which they are to be laid; floating them to their proper location; sinking one section upon the water-bed successively directly sinking the other sections and uniting each section as it is being sunk to the preceding section by dowels; securing each section in place by cement or concrete; and finally removing the bulkheads.

14:. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels composed ofsections which consists in sinking a tunnel-section upon the water-bed sinking a second section and positivelyguiding the same to position in line with the first section by means of framework carried by the several sections; and uniting the sections.

15. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels which consists in first sinking a section of the tunnel upon the Water-bed; then sinking another section and positively guiding it to position; and interlocking the one section with the other section.

16. The method of laying 'subaqueous conduits by sections which consists in sinking a section upon the bed, successively sinkingin a substantially vertical direction other sections, supporting the section while being sunk by framework carried by it and the sunken sections, guiding the several sections to place thereby and by interlocking means carried by the sections, and interlocking each section as it is being sunk with the preceding section by said means.

17. The method of laying subaqueous conduits by sections which consists in sinking a section upon the bed, successively sinking directly and substantially horizontally in alinement therewith other sections, guiding the several sections to place by framework carried by the sinking and sunken sections, respectively, and by guiding means carried by the sections, and uniting each section as it is being sunk to the preceding section by such guiding means.

18. The method of laying subaqueous conduits by sections which consists in sinking a section upon the bed, successively sinking directly and substantially horizontally into alinement therewith other sections, guiding each section to place from a position above its predetermined final position directly to such position by interlocking uniting means carried by the sections, and interlockingly uniting each section as it is being sunk to the preceding section by said means.

19. The method of laying subaqueous conduits by sections which consists in successivel y sinking such sections and positively guiding each section from a position above its predetermined final position on the bedto such final position by means carried by the sections.

20. The method of laying subaqueous conduits by sections which consistsin successively sinking such sections and positively guiding them from positions above their predetermined final positions on the bed to their final positions by framework carried by the sections.

21. The method of laying subaqueous tunnels, consisting in, erecting a support upon a section, laying the section, erecting a support upon the second section, lowering the second section by means of said first and second supports, erecting a support upon the third section, lowering the third section by means of said third support and one or more of the contiguous supports and thus continuing until the sections are all laid.

HERBERT F. DUNHAM. 

